Eagles OTAs: What To Watch

Reporters will be a day late to the Eagles’ OTA party on what’s expected to be a rainy Wednesday afternoon around the NovaCare Complex.

The voluntary OTA practive will serve as the first objective view of the 2025 Eagles, and there are several key issues to keep an eye on as the curtain rises:

M*A*S*H UNIT

By its nature, professional football is often a war of attrition, and a 21-game run to a Super Bowl LIX championship took its toll on some players who left New Orleans hurt.

Starter center Cam Jurgens had offseason back surgery, and Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson hinted at knee surgery, while emerging edge rusher Nolan Smith tore his triceps against the Chiefs in the big game.

Mike linebacker Nakobe Dean suffered a torn patellar tendon during the Wild Card Weekend win over Green Bay, and linebacker turned fullback Ben VanSumeren has been rehabbing from a significant in-season knee injury, believed to be a torn ACL.

Then you have first-round pick Jihaad Campbell, who is coming off March labrum surgery.

Of that group, perhaps only BVS will be ready for some work in the spring, but it should be of little concern at this early date.

Any unexpected positive news would only be a bonus.

DEFAULT SETTING

There are expected to be several position battles this summer, especially on the defensive side of the football, and those will not ramp up until training camp in late July.

However, it will be interesting to watch for the default settings at the OTAs. Generally, the Eagles will give the in-house option the first look.

The one job up for grabs on offense is right guard, and third-year player Tyler Steen will start the process as the leader in the clubhouse. Last year, that was the case as well before a training camp ankle injury opened the door for Mekhi Becton.

This season’s Becton-like reclamation project is 2022 Houston first-round pick Kenyon Green, who was acquired in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade. The safety net may be the returning Matt Pryor, who performed very well at RG with Chicago last season and would provide Jeff Stoutland with the preferred big body the OL coach seems to like at the position.

The defense is loaded with uncertainty, with competitions at all three levels.

On the edge, Jalyx Hunt will attempt to make the second-year leap opposite Smith by holding off reclamation project Bryce Huff and prove-it, free-agent signings Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche.

At LB, the injuries to Dean and Campbell have opened up the door for second-year legacy Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who will presumably be pushed by Day 3 draft pick Smael Mondon Jr.

Outside at CB, talented third-year option Kelee Ringo will get his opportunity to replace Darius Slay, with veteran pickup Adoree’ Jackson serving as the insurance policy, and Eli Ricks cast as the longshot. It will also be notable to see if emerging second-year star Quinyon Mitchell moves over to the left corner position Slay has handled.

Sydney Brown figures to be the default at safety to replace CJGJ opposite Reed Blankenship but second-round draft pick Drew Mukuba may have the inside track.

THE PLAY-CALLER

You know the drill with Jalen Hurts.

New offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo will be the sixth play-caller Hurts has had in Philadelphia, entering the quarterback’s sixth season after Doug Pederson, Nick Sirianni, Shane Steichen, Brian Johnson, and Kellen Moore.  And at times, Pederson admitted he handed off certain play calls to both Press Taylor and Rich Scangarello in what was Hurts’ rookie season.

So there have been a lot of moving parts.

Most of it has been successful since Sirianni arrived in 2021, and expect that to continue with Patullo, who has been working with Hurts as the passing game coordinator since coming in with Sirianni.

If anything, this transition should be more seamless than last year’s when Moore was coming in  from outside the organization.

Patullo will meet with the media before Wednesday’s practice, giving fans a bird’s-eye view of the new OC.